Thar
Fest is aimed at celebrating the camaraderie between the off-roading community
and 4 X 4 enthusiasts, while celebrating the iconic ‘Thar’ brand. Thrilling
off-roading activities and Thar related contests kept the participants
captivated throughout this day-long festival. Spectators also indulged in other
activities like the Thar Parade, 4x4 Experience Zone, Heritage Mahindra
Display, Customized Vehicle Display and a Live Music performance.
Participants
from 11 off-roading clubs from across India fought a hard battle at the ‘Club
Challenge’ to win the coveted title of ‘Best Off-Roading Club’ in India.
However, the obstacles here focused more on teamwork rather than on individual
performances. The ‘Club Challenge’ was kicked off on March 9, 2019 with
exciting night stages from 6:30 PM till midnight. The next day, March 10, 2019
witnessed the day stages between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
Some
of the obstacles were the famous ‘Demolition Derby’, an event where the
off-road vehicles had to negotiate a path over a pile of junk vehicles. Another
long-standing obstacle was ‘Pass the Baton’ where all classes of vehicles run a
relay format of driving and have to pass the baton from one vehicle to another
and cross the finish line.
After
an arduous battle, over two days and 8 obstacles, the overall winner trophy was
presented to Kannur Riders and Off-Roaders Club (KROC). The first runner up
title was won by Bangalore Off-Road Driver’s Association (BODA), while Northern
India Off-Road Club (NIOC) bagged the second runner up title. Other than KROC,
BODA and NIOC the other participating clubs this year included Team Ejamsa,
Extreme Riders Motorsports Club of Meghalaya, Kerala Adventure Sports Club,
R&T Autocatalyst, KTM Jeepers, Kannur Jeepers and Team Flywheel.